Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"I'm not sure," Xu Damao's voice became even deeper, "but there are some things that I think can no longer be ignored. If you keep going like this, you might get deeper into trouble."

Li Xiangqian's mind was in a mess. Every word of Xu Damao was like a heavy bomb, which made him dizzy. He couldn't help but start to wonder if he had already fallen into an invisible trap, whether everything around him was fake, and even his trust was being used.

"So what should we do now?" Li Xiangqian finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse and with an unconscious sense of nervousness.

Xu Damao took a deep breath, his eyes became firm, "You have to be careful. You, Song Wen, and your daughter are all his targets. The more you know now, the more uneasy he may be. You have to decide what to do next, and you can't delay any longer."

Li Xiangqian's heart was beating violently, and he looked past Xu Damao and looked at Song Wen in the room. Her eyes were still calm, but he knew that the tension and anxiety in her heart had already rolled like waves.

He suddenly realized that this was not just a simple issue of food. It was a life-and-death decision about their future and the fate of their entire family. What secrets were hidden behind He Yuzhu's behavior? And would this secret invisibly change their lives, or even the entire situation?

Li Xiangqian stood at the door, Xu Damao's words still echoing in his mind. Those seemingly simple but profound words were like an invisible knife, piercing into his already chaotic thoughts. Everything around him seemed to be blurry and unreal. He tried to calm his breathing and tried to sort out a clear line of thought from these complicated clues, but he found that the harder he tried, the more confused he fell into.

"You have to be careful." Xu Damao's eyes were so firm, as if telling him that everything before him was no longer a simple choice, and things had become increasingly complicated.

Li Xiangqian's heart was filled with doubts and uneasiness. Xu Damao's words made him feel cold, and he couldn't imagine how he was drawn into this vortex. He had always thought that this small courtyard and this isolated community was a safe haven he could rely on, but now everything began to shake. Every brick and tile of the courtyard seemed to hide unknown secrets, and he and his family were deeply trapped in it.

"What's going on?" Li Xiangqian asked himself in a low voice, his eyes lingering on Xu Damao for a moment, as if trying to find something from the other's expression.

Xu Damao's eyes flashed with a complicated look. He did not answer directly, but turned to look at the darkness outside the house, as if thinking about something. "Don't you understand? This is not just about food, nor is it just about survival. The people behind it, or that organization, their goal is not just as simple as supplies."

Li Xiangqian felt his heart suddenly beat violently. He swallowed hard and frowned. "What organization? Are you saying that He Yuzhu... is there really someone behind him that we don't know about?" The shock in his tone was obvious.

Xu Damao turned around and looked at him deeply. "I can only tell you that He Yuzhu's behavior is not just out of personal desire. He may be part of a bigger plan. And you...you have become a part of it."

These words made Li Xiangqian's mind go blank. He did not react immediately, but stood there stupidly, as if his feet were bound by something and he could not move.

Seeing that Li Xiangqian didn't say anything, Xu Damao sighed, walked up to him, and whispered, "You have to make a decision. Not everyone can withstand this storm. You have to make a choice for yourself and your family."

This sentence hit Li Xiangqian's heart like a heavy hammer. A series of questions began to emerge in his mind: How much has He Yuzhu concealed over the years? Why is his behavior so contradictory? Who is the mysterious power behind it? And what choice should he, Li Xiangqian, make?

He looked at Song Wen and his daughter, feeling panic in his heart. Could he still protect them? Could he still pull them out of this chaotic storm? He was not sure, but he knew that he could not let them get involved in this game, and could not let innocent people pay the price for his ignorance.

"I understand." Li Xiangqian finally spoke, his voice hoarse and firm, "I will be careful." He took a deep breath, turned around and walked into the house.

Song Wen raised her head and looked at Li Xiangqian's back, her eyes showing a hint of concern and doubt. "What's wrong? You don't look right."

Li Xiangqian looked at her deeply. He said nothing, but just shook his head slightly, indicating that he was fine. However, the huge question in his heart never dissipated. What was He Yuzhu hiding? All these years, were all of them kept in the dark?

"I'll go to the kitchen." Li Xiangqian didn't say anything else. He knew in his heart that the current situation had become complicated and he needed time to figure out what to do next and how to deal with the coming storm.

He entered the kitchen and saw a small pot of stewed food. He stirred it gently, and steam rose up, emitting a rich aroma. But this aroma could not make him feel any warmth at the moment. The wooden spoon in his hand suddenly seemed extremely heavy.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning back, he saw his daughter standing at the door, her eyes wide open, staring at him. "Dad, what's wrong with you?"

Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, and the tender emotion almost made him soften his heart. He walked over, touched his daughter's head, and whispered, "It's okay, but there are some things that Dad needs to think about."

"What are you thinking about?" The daughter raised her head with an innocent look in her eyes.

Li Xiangqian was silent for a while, then smiled. "Dad is thinking about how to make everyone live well."

The daughter didn't seem to fully understand these complicated things. She just nodded slightly, then jumped onto the chair next to her, hugged the kitten, and smiled. "Can I live well too?"

Li Xiangqian looked at her, with a trace of pain in his eyes. He suddenly felt that everything he did could not bring peace to this small family. He knew that he had been involved in a vortex from which there was no turning back, and every decision he made would affect their future destiny.